Whereas most of the feature-length movies had very serious topics, the shorts were mixed with a high emphasis on comedy, most of them very good.
Latin Lazer! Red Velveteen! Cadillac Carter! Lady Blaze! These are the SHEROES, one of the most fun MVAAFF shorts. Represented at the fest’ by writer/producer and co-star Teri Benjamin, SHEROES is a tounge-in-cheek romp about four young women who discover they have super abilities beyond those of mortal women who under the tutelage of their Professor X/Niles Caulder-type African mentor train to control their powers in order to save the world from a pre-destined evil hell-bent on taking over the world (cue bad guy music)! Full of charming characters and cute special effects, this amusing short – part of a soon-to-be web series according to Benjamin - is worth keeping an eye on. Check out the SHEROES webpage for more amusement.
Sheroes
Continuing with the fun is Avery Kidd Waddell’s N.C.B.S., a genre-twisting tale of a man who is burnt out after going through a traumatic experience as the leader of his title-based elite squad. I wish I could divulge more, but it would really be giving the punch of the movie away as Waddell masterfully unfolds the tension with The Sixth Sense like precision – but this ain’t a ghost story at all. As he describes in the movies description, “It all comes out in the end.” Television viewers will recognize Waddell, who also co-stars, instantly - if they don’t zoom past all their commercials with their DVR’s.
He’s been a working actor for almost 20 years and most of this audience should know him (I did, shortly after my first convo with him) as the young version of Gary, T.K. Carter’s character from the classic HBO mini-series The Corner. Other Homicide: Life on the Street heads may recognize him from his appearance on that show as well, early in his career. Along with short cameos by Kel Mitchell (Kenan & Kel, Good Burger) and Victor Williams (The King of Queens, Traci Townsend [and an alum from my high school!]), there are a host of other commercial and tv actors starring here. Waddell’s transition into creating his own work, and making an uncommon film to boot, is a boon to his catalog and to movie going audiences. Visit him at: AveryKiddWaddell.comThis is an interesting segueway, as some of the next best shorts were produced, written or directed by actors. I think this is great, as I was just talking to a fantastic actress some months ago as to why more of them aren’t making calling cards with themselves with great material. She chalked it up to laziness. I’m glad to see these folks dispelling those myths.
Another of my favorites was Three Faces of Evelyn by star/co-writer Kathryn J. Taylor and director Kamali Minter. I was already very familiar with Talyor’s work from her short Homeless Destiny and her very memorable segment “Reciprocity” (she’s actually the first one you see and, um, hear on screen) from my friend and soon-to-be superstar director Dennis Dortch’s A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy, the latter of which I co-produced the NYC premiere of with my collaborators at ActNow Foundation, so I expected a lot from her and got that back in spades. This short takes place on November 4, 2008 – Election Day. Suffering from multiple-personality disorder, the title character elicits an emergency session with her shrink to determine just who the heck she voted for! Taylor not only gets to show her range through the examination of her multiple character’s voting decisions, but as a writer with great lines and material for both characters. The direction and editing are really on point here as well.
Diverging from actor-driven material for a minute, I’m ecstatic to talk about a new emerging voice on the scene. Montres Henderson, a young Virgnia based filmmaker presented not one but two shorts in the fest. His first one, What Wraps Me Wraps You, is drastically different from most other films at the fest, as it can best be categorized as experimental. Sans heavy dialogue or narration, What wraps me is about the interconnected lives of a homeless man, a young girl, and a dancer. What I dug about it is that it showed how gingerly each of us can affect each other without even knowing. Like any experimental film, you’re kind of left wondering at the end, but when you talk it through you realize how multi-layered it can be when done successfully, and this was done so.
Wrap Me With What Wraps You from Montres Henderson on Vimeo.
Different in tone, ii Played For Her is a sweet love story about a shy musician who constantly sits by a young lady in the park but never gains the nerve to talk to her, even after she starts reading her books out loud plainly for his benefit. So he expresses himself through his best form of expression, his music. Filmed in black & white, a great choice that idyllically establishes the contrasts of the characters and the tone of the film, Henderson is skilled in doing what many of us filmmakers struggle with – say a lot with a little. Look out for Henderson in a few years, if not sooner. He’s going to be a fresh voice in the film community. Watch both shorts here and/or see more of Henderson’s art at: seausflystudios.blogspot.com
ii played for her.. from Montres Henderson on Vimeo.
Addiction is the focal point of star & co-writer Keena Ferguson’s Kai. But it’s not the type of addiction you’d think. Get your heads out of the gutter, it’s not that type of addiction either, but her habit lands her in rehab where she has to fight hard to win back her glamorous life. Like N.C.B.S.’ plot, I won’t reveal the surprise in respect to the filmmakers. I will say that Ferguson, who in person is a huge bubble of joy in strong contrast to her character, played up her addiction on par with Halle Berry’s addict character in Jungle Fever – which is saying a whole lot.
The small but memorable supporting cast are also key with making this film a great hit, and the ending especially puts Ms. Ferguson and her director Fred Thomas Jr. on point as great collaborator. Thomas’ direction takes special precedence here, as the color palette and saturation choices he decided on make Kai stand out wonderfully. See more from her at: www.KeenaFerguson.com
You may or may not have seen William Sutphin’s Uncle Killa on HBO, but look out for it again – since it is playing all month. This 15-minute short perfectly encapsulates the term, “generational divide” when Uncle Kai, who just got out of jail and ends up living with his sister, gets zero respect from his nephew Eric, who hears on the streets the reason why Uncle Kai may have gotten out early. The pressure escalates even further when Eric’s doting mother does little to correct the situation and his cute new girlfriend gets involved in the drama. Sutphin, an Ivy League trained filmmaker has previously been named "Best African American Student Filmmaker for 2008" by the Director's Guild Of America. Also a former Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellow, he earned his M.F.A in Directing from Columbia University's Film Division in 2008 and also holds a B.A. in History from Hampton University. He is definitely on the rise. Wonderfully edited and shot tightly to increase the tension, Uncle Killa is a must see.
Watch the Uncle Killa trailer HERE!
Kiara C. Jones’ latest film, Amazon Women, shines off the screen like a truly personal movie. All unfolding in one night, a woman is stood up by her date – yet again – so her roommate compels her out of her funk and they spend the night out on the town together. What unwraps throughout the next few hours is an exploration of self-discovery that leaves both characters stronger and more confident about where to take the rest of their lives.
Evoking believable sentiment from her actors, and wonderfully catching the doldrums of urban characters sans apology but in no way over-dramatizing it, while also catching an authentic tone of modern-day New York City, Jones has created a wonderful drama here that’s definitely worth a second (and third, etc.) look. Find out more about this up-and-coming director at: www.cultivatedfilms.com and at the film's IMDB link.
On the last night of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival were the HBO selected shorts which presented us with fantastic shorts like director Patrick Knipe’s Scarecrow, a Civil War drama about a Confederate soldier deserter and writer/director Morroco Omari’s (Mis)Leading Man, about an actor who after running the gamut with the paparazzi after powerful and private struggle feels like he’s at the end of his rope (which also one the Short Film award at the Hollywood Black Film Festival).
But the standout to me, and to HBO as well since it took away their coveted Short Film Competition Award, was Kwame. In this tale, which takes place both in the past and future, the title character is an emotionally tortured ex-soldier “dealing with the feelings of guilt he has over his father’s death” back home in Ghana. Exiled to the States shortly thereafter, 20 years later he starts to come to terms with his traumatic past when he “finds compassion for a troubled young woman struggling with her own demons.” Cast with realistic characters who easily tug at your heartstrings, and shot simply yet so beautifully under the eye of director Edward Osei-Gyimah, Kwame is the type of film short that you can watch over and over again given the wonderful sentiment about family, friendship – good and bad, and having a place to call home. The star, Benjamin Ochieng, is what really makes the film. I really hope to see him in something else soon. And I (and you) should look forward to future films from director Edward Osei-Gyimah.
That wraps up my coverage of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival of 2009. I’m going to work at reaching out to some of the filmmakers personally and get an interview on what made them select their projects and what’s next on their plates.
(also published on ShadowAndAct.com black media blog 'site)
No comments:
Post a Comment